Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- whimsical
- earnest
- warm
- family movie night
- lazy sunday
What critics said
Critics generally found the effects imaginative and the themes of trust and cooperation worthwhile, while considering the film overly sentimental and unevenly exciting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Omri brings Little Bear and Boone to life by placing toy figures inside the locked cupboard.
Omri realizes that the tiny figures have independent lives and questions how much authority he should exercise over them.
The living figures navigate Omri's bedroom and household as a little-guy-in-a-big-room spectacle.
Little Bear identifies himself as an Indigenous man from 1761, while Boone represents the opposing cowboy figure brought to life beside him.
Films like The Indian in the Cupboard, and why
The Borrowers
shared child-centered fantasy, miniature scale, wonder, and themes of friendship and responsibility
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
shared family fantasy, a child protagonist, magical hidden worlds, and warm moral storytelling
Toy Story
shared toy-centered magical realism, childhood imagination, and themes of friendship and autonomy
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
shared family adventure, a child encountering an extraordinary being, and earnest emotional lessons
Movie Details
- Director
- Frank Oz
- Release Date
- 1995-07-14
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (718)
Cast
- Hal Scardino
- Litefoot
- Lindsay Crouse
- Richard Jenkins
- Rishi Bhat
- Steve Coogan
- David Keith
- Sakina Jaffrey
- Vincent Kartheiser
- Nestor Serrano
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Indian in the Cupboard about?
- A Brooklyn boy learns that bringing toy figures to life also means respecting their histories, choices, and conflicts.
- What is The Indian in the Cupboard like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Indian in the Cupboard as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Indian in the Cupboard violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Indian in the Cupboard as mild.
- What did critics think of The Indian in the Cupboard?
- Critics generally found the effects imaginative and the themes of trust and cooperation worthwhile, while considering the film overly sentimental and unevenly exciting.
- Which films are like The Indian in the Cupboard?
- Films with a similar feel include The Borrowers, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Toy Story, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
- How long is The Indian in the Cupboard?
- The Indian in the Cupboard runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Indian in the Cupboard?
- In United States, The Indian in the Cupboard streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
